Back in June of this year, I responded to one of his ads for a Pioneer RT 707. He replied with a long answer (below). Anyway, I told him I was close to the vicinity he gave in the ad, so no shipping required, and wanted to check out the Pioneer. Not surprisingly, he didn't reply. The same ad posted again this morning.
I have owned this RT-707 for about 30 years. My dad was a TV tech/radio engineer and owned about half a dozen decks going back to an Ampex 351, and a Teac Concertone 505.
The deck is clean, no bent faceplate corners, VU meters good, hubs good.
Permalloy Heads aligned to correct azimuth.
I have only used better Maxell tape products, and have never owned any pre-recorded tapes, I always felt they used a much lower quality tape to facilitate mass production, and obviously affects head longevity.
This is a 4 head deck having bi directional playback capability.
Nickel/Ferrite head design superior to what Teac and Akai were offering at the time (late '70s).
These Permalloy heads are I believe an Pioneer innovation, and will probably outlive the deck itself.
Some people have described the heads as being a little brighter than other comparable decks of that era.
58 db s/n
No issues with playback, record, fast forward or return.
At the time of issue in 1977 Pioneer boasted of this deck having one of the lowest drag tape transport mechanisms available.
Full rewind with 7" reel about 45 seconds.
Hub brake belts replaced about 10 years ago, these were also sourced on ebay.
I believe that alot of these parts are manufactured in Czechoslovakia, and the quality is very good.
Have Pioneer owner's manual and schematics
There were studies conducted in the mid '80s that stated no significant head wear with over 100,000 hours of continuous use. These heads are a Nickel Ferrite Hybrid, which is the key to their longevity.
A de gausser would be a wise investment and will ensure a clean pass. Ampex still makes tape today. Dave
